DI-AMMONIUM PHOSPHATE (DAP)

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Context

An acute shortage of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) in Haryana has seen desperate farmers pelting stones at the police, blocking roads in protest, and even resorting to “loot” the fertilizer from a private dealer’s outlet in Mahendragarh district of south Haryana.

About

Diammonium phosphate is one of a series of water-soluble ammonium phosphate salts that can be produced when ammonia reacts with phosphoric acid.
It is the world’s most widely used phosphorus fertilizer.
DAP fertilizer is an excellent source of P and nitrogen (N) for plant nutrition.
It’s highly soluble and thus dissolves quickly in soil to release plant-available phosphate and ammonium.
A notable property of DAP is the alkaline pH that develops around the dissolving granule.
When applied as plant food, it temporarily increases the soil pH, but over a long term the treated ground becomes more acidic than before upon nitrification of the ammonium.
DAP can be used as a fire retardant.
It lowers the combustion temperature of the material, decreases maximum weight loss rates, and causes an increase in the production of residue or char.
For example, a mixture of DAP and other ingredients can be spread in advance of a fire to prevent a forest from burning. It then becomes a nutrient source after the danger of fire has passed.